Tissue of Lies
by Shergar
Summary: After a series of arguements, Danny leaves Five-O under a cloud.
1. Chapter 1

Tissue of Lies

Tempers had been short in the 5-O offices for a couple of weeks now, but today things had suddenly come to a head and everyone who was present wished they weren't as the chief of 5-O, Steve McGarrett, and his second in command, Danny Williams, indulged in a shouting match that could probably be heard across the whole island.

"So now you're infallible," Danny scoffed as they stood in the outer office. The door into the rest of the Iolani Palace was open, too, allowing anyone passing to overhear the row. Nobody from 5-O made a move to close the door. Moving meant drawing attention to oneself and they didn't want to get caught up in this argument.

"I said I was right; you didn't believe me," Steve reminded the younger man. "The evidence speaks for itself."

"You didn't know that when you busted into that club and threatened to break a few heads," Williams flared back. "You decided they were guilty and set out to prove it. What happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'?" he demanded. "Or does that not apply to the high-and-mighty Steve McGarrett? I don't know why we waste money on courts and judges when we could just ask you and you could decide."

"That's enough!" McGarrett snapped, a flush crawling up his neck. "Your insubordination has gone far enough! I run this unit and you'll do as you're told!"

"Save me the speeches," Danny retorted. "You just don't like hearing the truth and you especially don't like hearing it from me. Nobody ever argues with Mr McGarrett." He sneered at Steve. "You wanted an ass-licker in this job and got me instead. Too bad – wrong choice." He laughed wildly, but there was nothing humorous in the sound.

"That's it!" Steve declared quietly and everyone winced. Steve quietly angry was even more dangerous than Steve shouting at the pitch of his lungs. "Get out! You're done with 5-O. Give me your gun and badge and get out."

"This is a public building," Danny taunted as he dropped his gun and badge on the nearest desk. "You can't make me leave."

"No?" In a swift movement, Steve caught Dan's right arm in a steel grip and had the younger man's arm twisted up behind his back in a moment. As Danny struggled ineffectually to break free, Steve propelled him out of the office, along the corridor and paused for a moment at the top of the stairs. "Don't come back!" he ordered and let go of Danny at the same moment that Williams pulled free. It was only Danny's natural athleticism that saved him from falling, although he did stumble and turn his ankle.

Shaking down his rumpled suit, Dan made a rude gesture but Steve had already turned away and didn't see it. Danny looked around, but nobody met his eyes and with an angry sigh, he limped towards his car. He had taken several steps before he remembered that the vehicle he had driven to work that morning belonged to 5-O. With a snarl, he changed direction, limping downtown with thoughts of getting a bus home.

He didn't notice the shadowy figure in the window of McGarrett's office watching him leave.

It didn't take Danny long to divert into a bar and down a couple of straight Scotchs. His shoulder throbbed after having his arm twisted, but the Scotch proved a cure for both it and his ankle and he decided it was a perfect day for the beach. Catching a few waves would cheer him up and now that he was unemployed, perhaps he really would turn pro and make a living surfing. He was good enough and still young enough.

It didn't take him long to change when he got home and he was soon down on the beach. The smell of the sea cleared his head and he plunged into the water with enthusiasm. The admiring glances he got from the girls when he came in for a drink didn't hurt and Danny wondered how long he ought to grow his hair. With the natural curl, it wasn't typical cool surfer hair, but perhaps that wouldn't matter.

The afternoon at the beach did wonders for Danny's mood and the exercise eased out his sore muscles. Still, he wasn't quite as ebullient as usual after a day on the beach as he drove home. The quarrel with Steve had never left his mind and Steve's last words to him echoed disconcertingly at the oddest moments.

But there was no going back. His course was set and he was on his own. He knew that his friends at the police department would probably shun him and he had few close friends who were not cops. Working 12-18 hour days tended to eclipse your social life. There had been girls aplenty over the years, but few of them had last more than a few weeks – a month or two if he was lucky. There was no one serious – no one at all – at the moment. His belly-aching and griping about his boss – former boss – had taken its toll on his last relationship and the girl had ignominiously dumped him last week.

"I'll just make new friends," Danny vowed aloud. It wouldn't be too hard; he had always made friends easily.

They just had to be the right kind of friends.

"McGarrett." The ringing of the phone in the middle of the night was not an unusual occurrence, but that didn't really make it any easier to accept. Switching on the bedside lamp and wincing, Steve glanced at the clock. It was just shy of 2am.

"Steve, its Chin," said the familiar voice. "I just got a call from HPD."

"What's up?" Steve asked, feeling his sleepiness falling away.

"It seems that Danny was brought in a few hours ago, drunk. He'd also been involved in a fight." There was no mistaking the concern in Chin's voice.

Closing his eyes, Steve fought for control. _Oh, Danno. _ "I don't know why you're calling to tell me this," Steve replied coldly. "Dan Williams is no longer part of 5-O. What he does with his own time is no concern of mine."

"Oh." It was obvious that Chin was taken aback by Steve's attitude. "Right."

"See you in the morning," Steve said and hung up. He switched the light off and lay back down, but sleep was far from his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

The holding cells at HPD were full. Danny, by dint of his specialised status, had a cell to himself. Chin just hoped that nobody had thought to phone Steve McGarrett from here, or Danny would soon be splashed all over the newspapers, for the media often seemed to hear about things that happened at the jail. So far, Chin was pretty sure that the news of Danny and Steve's fight had not reached the media, but when it did, the sacking of McGarrett's second in command would be headline news. And so would this little fiasco if Chin didn't get it sorted out – and quickly. It had been a long few days since the argument and Danny had been coasting the bars and talking to people he would not normally associate with. Chin had been discreetly keeping an eye on him, splitting the duty with Kono and they were both worried. Danny looked to be rushing headlong into trouble. He had managed to evade both Chin and Kono that night and this was the result.

Gesturing to the sergeant in charge of the cells, he got the man to open Danny's cell and went in. The younger man was lying on his stomach on the bunk, his head hanging down over the edge. Chin knelt and lifted Danny's chin and gasped as he saw the state of his friend's face. He'd been told Danny had been involved in a fight, but he hadn't been told that he was the victim. "Danny?" He gently shook Danny's shoulder. There was no response. "Has this man seen a doctor?"

"Nah, he's just drunk," the sergeant replied indifferently. "He puked and then passed out." He shrugged. "Happens every weekend with someone."

"I want you to call an ambulance right now," Chin ordered. "What are the charges against this man?"

"Nothing," the sergeant replied. "He was drunk, but not causing a problem. He was involved in a fight, but nobody has pressed charges against him. I know he's McGarrett's boy and I'd have got around to phoning him at some point," he added defensively. "But I did have other things to do."

"Get the ambulance," Chin repeated. He watched the sergeant scuttle away and knelt by his friend again. He was glad that the sergeant hadn't called Steve after the reception that Chin got. He didn't understand how Danny and Steve could have come to this impasse, where both of them were hurt and angry and Danny had lost his job. If Chin hadn't been called in to identify another man who had been arrested during the night, who knew how long Danny might have lain here, unconscious. Chin was angry, but he was also worried. It wasn't like Danny to get drunk. What was going through the younger man's mind?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Danny opened his eyes a few hours later, the world was far too bright to bear. He groaned as his eyes slammed closed, then cautiously eased them open a tiny fraction and looked around. He instantly recognised the hospital. He had been there far too many times. What he couldn't work out was why he was there now?

Moving provided him with the answer. His whole body rebelled and he swallowed desperately against an up-surge of nausea. Luckily, there appeared to be someone else in the room with him, because an emesis basin appeared under his chin just in time to stop him throwing up all over himself. Still, when the bout of vomiting was finally over and he was lying down again, Danny had time to wonder who was with him. He turned his aching head gingerly on the pillow and beheld Chin Ho Kelly. "Chin," he croaked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking up the pieces," Chin replied seriously. There wasn't even the hint of a smile on his normally jovial face.

"Pieces of what?" Danny wondered.

"Pieces of you," Chin answered. "Danny, what the hell were you thinking? Getting drunk and beaten up? Arrested?"

"Arrested?" Danny repeated weakly. His memory was coming back, albeit a bit fuzzy around the edges.

"No charges have been laid, but you were lucky I came in," Chin went on gravely. "You were unconscious when I found you. You've been here at Queens since just after 2.30am and on a drip. You have a concussion and more cuts and bruises than I can count. You'll be here another day or so."

"No," Danny objected. "I can't stay."

"I'm not taking no for an answer," Chin told him. "I've got to get back to work, now. I'll come back and see you later."

Forcing himself into a sitting position, Danny winced as his bruises made themselves known. He remembered the fight. He wasn't much of a drinker, but drinking on an empty stomach was never a good idea. It had seemed like a good idea at the time to tell the men picking on him that he was no longer a cop, but that idea backfired spectacularly when they decided that meant – correctly Danny realised ruefully – that he wouldn't press charges against them when they beat him up.

He had to get out of there. He was unemployed now; he couldn't afford to stay in hospital. He didn't have any medical insurance. Grimacing, Danny managed to pull the needle from his arm. He found his clothes stashed in the bedside locker and dressed as quickly as he could. A glance out of the door showed him that nobody was looking in his direction and as casually as he could, he made his way out of the building.

It was discouraging to realise that he would now lose Chin's friendship, too, after walking away from the hospital as he had, but he didn't feel he had any choice. He had to start his new life now, away from 5-O, and that included Chin Ho Kelly.

Shuffling despondently along the sidewalk, Danny failed to notice the two men who were following him. It was only when he turned into the residential street where he lived that the men made their move. "Dan Williams?"

"What business is it of yours?" Danny asked sullenly.

"A friend of ours wants to talk with you," the man replied. "I suggest you come quietly." He nudged his gun into Danny's ribs.

Remembering that he was unarmed, Danny realised that he had no choice. "I don't seem to have a choice," he agreed.

"Very good." The man beckoned and a car pulled up beside them, its windows blacked out. Danny quailed, but it was too late. The man on his other side had taken hold of his arm and Danny was too sore to even think about fighting back. He got into the back of the car and at once, his hands were tied behind him and a blindfold was placed over his eyes. "Don't panic, Mr Williams," soothed the spokesman as the rope was tightened securely around his wrists. "We just don't want you struggling, or seeing where you're being taken. It's much safer for you this way."

"I'm glad you think so," Danny retorted and knew at once he had irritated his captors as the gun nudged deeper into his already aching ribs.

"If there are any more smart remarks, we will be forced to gag you, too," the man threatened. "If I were you, I'd be very careful, Mr Williams. After all, nobody knows where you are and thanks to your own actions, 5-O won't be looking for you, will they?"

It was a sobering thought, both that what the man had said was true and that whoever these people worked for, the person knew a great deal about him. Wisely, Danny settled back and stopped struggling.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Have you seen the papers?" Kono asked Chin as he entered the office.

"Tell me the worst," Chin sighed and winced aloud as Kono dropped the newspaper onto his desk. The headline banner screamed **So The Mighty Have Fallen** and displayed a picture of a clearly drunk and handcuffed Dan Williams being pushed into the back of a police car. "Has Steve seen this?"

"I haven't shown him," Kono replied. "I don't have a death wish." He looked down at the papers. "Have you seen Danny?" he asked.

"Yeah, I took him to the hospital in the early hours and he woke just before I left. I said I would go in and see him again later. He looked pretty bad. Whoever caught him worked him over good." Chin winced as he remembered the bruises and bumps on Danny's face.

"Chin! Kono!" Steve's voice was as imperative and demanding as usual, but there seemed to be an extra edge to it today, Chin thought. He was right. As they went into Steve's office, he caught a glimpse of the newspaper on the boss's desk.

However, Steve was all business that morning, asking for updates on cases, issuing commands about what needed to be done that day. It was only when the normal business was over that he gestured to the newspaper. "And if either of you see Williams, you can tell him that I don't appreciate him dragging the good name of 5-O into the gutter with him." He fixed both his detectives with a piercing glare. "I assume you have seen him?"

"I took him to the hospital this morning," Chin replied quietly. "He was pretty badly beat up."

The fierce stare did not soften. "That's not my concern, as I told you when you called," he reminded Chin. "However, I don't want anything he does to drag down this department, understood?"

"Loud and clear," Chin replied. He sighed as he thought of having this awkward conversation with Danny later. With a glance at Kono, they left the office. Steve watched them go, then his eyes were drawn back to the headline of the newspaper and the picture of Danny. With a sudden, savage gesture, he threw the paper into the trash.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The car journey took quite a while, but Danny had the impression that they were driving around in circles. He was desperately uncomfortable, his already sore body made even sorer by the ropes on his wrists. At length, they stopped and Danny was tugged from the car and led into a building. He was pushed into a chair and then there was silence for a while. When someone spoke, Danny jumped despite himself. "Mr Williams. How kind of you to come."

"It wasn't like I was offered much choice," Danny retorted. He waited for the blindfold to be removed, but it and the ropes stayed stubbornly in place. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"Ever the impatient one," chuckled the man. "I want to learn if the rumours are true," he went on. "I've been hearing about the former golden boy who is now swearing to get Steve McGarrett if it's the last thing he ever does. Does that sound like you, Mr Williams?"

"So what if it does?" Danny snarled, his heart thumping in his chest.

"If it is true, I have a job for you, my friend," the man purred. "Something simple to begin with, just to prove you are telling the truth."

"Why wouldn't I be telling the truth?" Danny snapped.

"Because you're a cop!" the man retorted, sounding angry now instead of lazily amused. "Cops play games and go undercover." A hand buried itself in the tattered blood-stained shirt Danny was wearing and half lifted him off the seat. "You have to prove to me that you are no longer a cop, Mr Williams. If you can do that, I will not only give you the chance to avenge yourself on McGarrett, but I will make you a rich man, too. I'm sure you could use the money."

"Yeah, yeah I can," Danny mumbled. "What do you want me to do?" he asked.

There was a pause. "Something simple," the man repeated. "Very simple." He laughed. "I want you to blow up the governor's car."


	3. Chapter 3

The silence was choking, but it hadn't lasted as long as Danny had feared. "With or without the governor in it?" he asked as coolly as he could manage.

The man laughed. "I knew you were smart," he praised. "Without – on this occasion. Like I said, it's a test. You blow up the governor's car and then we can talk properly."

"Is there a deadline on this?" Danny asked. His heart rate was slowing slightly, but it was still racing along.

"Yes. You have two days."

"And if I fail?" That was the big question.

"How shall I put this, Mr Williams? Ah yes – you don't want to fail. Do you understand what I mean?" The amused voice had gone cold again – so cold that Danny couldn't repress a shudder.

"I understand," he agreed.

"Excellent. In that case, I shall have my men return you to wherever it was you were going. Two days, Mr Williams. I'll be watching you."

Danny was dragged to his feet and bundled back into a car. Again, there was the interminable drive around before the bonds on his wrists were loosened slightly before he was pushed from the car. He stumbled and fell to his knees, hearing the vehicle pull away behind him. He fought his hands free of the ropes and pulled off the blindfold, blinking to clear his vision. He was in the basement parking garage of his building and there was no one around. Rubbing his bruised wrists and wincing at the pain thumping through his body, Danny dragged himself to his feet and climbed the stairs to his apartment. Stripping, he stood under a hot shower, trying to ease his aches and pains and wash away the thoughts of what he was about to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The whispers were the worst thing, he thought as he walked through the streets the next morning. The almost sleepless night didn't help, nor did the tongue-lashing he had received from Chin over the phone about leaving the hospital AMA and without paying his bill. Danny hated that he had shouted at Chin, but he had had more than enough by then and over-the-counter painkillers really weren't cutting it. There had been an envelope with money in it shoved under his door that morning. Danny knew what it was for and he was going to buy what he needed now, even though he would rather be in bed.

It didn't take long to find most of what he required. Taking a much-needed break for a cup of coffee, Danny pondered where he would get the last item he required – explosives. One didn't just buy that in a hardware store after all. Danny knew he would have to call in a few favours. Fishing in his pocket for change, he went to the payphone. He didn't want these calls logged to his home phone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was after dark when Danny left his apartment. He had managed to get a little sleep that afternoon when he returned home, but his dreams were filled with the disgusted, accusing stares of the people in the supermarket, all of whom seemed to be clutching newspapers bearing his image and the story of his downfall. Danny considered himself lucky to have escaped with his dignity semi-intact. If it hadn't been for the fact that his fridge was empty of everything except some curdled milk, he would have abandoned his groceries and fled. However, messing with explosives needed a steady hand and lack of food was guaranteed to give you the shakes.

It was just after dark; the last traces of the spectacular tropical sunset lingered on the horizon. The sky was luminous, the stars just starting to come out. The air was warm, still and humid. Insects sang to each other, creating a background sound that the islanders no longer consciously heard. It was a glorious night, but Danny was completely oblivious to the beauty of his island home.

He was well aware of his tail, as he had been all day. He assumed that the two men thought they were being discreet, but to Danny's experienced eye, they stuck out like a sore thumb.

His destination was miles away from the city and his watchdogs stuck close as Danny pulled over outside a construction site that was set to become an exclusive gated community. His contact, an older man with greying hair, wearing a security guard's uniform, spoke pidgin and haggled an extra 50 bucks out of the ex-detective. In the end, Danny had no option but to pay up. He had work to do and time was moving on.

It should have been impossible to get anywhere near the governor's official limousine, but money worked wonders. When this watchman, another native Hawaiian, was persuaded to look the other way, Danny's stash of cash, received only that morning, was gone.

Dawn was lighting the sky as Danny drove carefully home. His job was done and he knew his watchdogs would report back to their master. He had felt their eyes on him all the time he worked, as if there wasn't enough pressure in simply doing the job. People who worked regularly with explosives rarely lived to make old bones and Danny, while down on his luck, was certainly not ready to exit this world prematurely. His 'job' was done; now all he could do was wait to see what happened; wait for the inevitable knock on the door and the feel of cold handcuffs closing around his wrists. He could only hope that whatever happened next would wait for a few days, until he felt better, for he felt truly terrible now.

The hot shower he took to try and wash away his guilt seemed to drain him of all energy and he crawled into bed and pulled the covers around his shoulders, shivering slightly. He fell quickly into the sleep that had eluded him for most of the last 24 hours.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

An angry Steve McGarrett was a scary man. He was beyond angry today, Chin thought miserably as he and Kono tried to get on with the investigation, while also trying to be invisible. Neither objective was going too well for them. The burnt out shell of the governor's car smouldered slightly even yet and the fire department were still in attendance in case the flames sprang to life again. The night watchman had admitted casually that he 'might have' nodded off, but seemed strangely unconcerned by his lapse, which was a sackable offence. Even more oddly, Steve, while furious, didn't appear to be furious with the watchman. Chin really didn't understand it at all.

"You don't look happy, bruddah," Kono mentioned, coming up beside him. "You ain't still brooding about the kaikaina?"

"I suppose I am," Chin admitted. He was more worried than brooding, though. Danny had sounded rough on the phone last night and Chin knew that whatever he had been doing that day had taken it out of him. The very fact that Danny had shouted at him was worrying. Oh sure, Danny had a temper, but he never shouted the way he had done last night. "He should be in the hospital."

"You think we should tell Steve?" Kono asked, looking concerned.

"Normally, yes, but now? I don't know." Even Chin's wife didn't know what to advise him to do about this situation.

"What are you two talking about?" Steve snapped.

When the boss was in this kind of mood, keeping quiet and getting out of the way was the best plan. The only person who argued with him in this mood was Danny and he wasn't there. Still partial truth was better than an outright lie, as Chin knew only too well. "I was saying I wished Danny was here. He might have been able to tell us something about the type of explosive it was while we're waiting for the bomb squad."

"Well, he's not here!" McGarrett reminded him sharply. "Did you speak to him about those headlines yesterday?"

"I tried," Chin replied. "He didn't sound good at all, Steve. I'm worried about him."

"Don't be," Steve replied, but his voice seemed softer. "Have we any clues?"

"One of the workers from the store across the road claims that he saw someone working on the car in the early hours," Kono replied, allowing Chin to gather his composure again. "He also swears that the watchman we've got here wasn't the man who was on duty last night."

"Really?" Steve's gaze sharpened on Kono in a most disconcerting manner. "I want to talk to him. Point him out to me." Kono obliged. They had quite a crowd of onlookers, so finding the man they wanted wasn't hard. "You stay here and see if you can find out anything else." He walked across to the man, and soon they disappeared into the crowd.

"I sure wish Danny were here," Kono sighed as the bomb squad arrived and he headed over to talk to them.


	4. Chapter 4

When Danny woke up, he felt slightly better, right up until the moment he opened his eyes. Standing beside the bed, guns pointed at him, were the two men who had taken him from the street and started this whole thing. "How did you get in?" he asked, knowing that he had locked up.

"I wouldn't worry about it," the spokesman replied. "Get up. The man wants to meet you."

Slowly, Danny sat up, feeling the aches in his body come to life. He felt incredibly vulnerable and knew that was exactly what 'the man' wanted. Danny had to be kept off balance and insecure, because that was the way to dominate him and make him do exactly as he was told.

"You don't mind if I use the facilities and get dressed do you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Don't be all day about it," snarled the taller man. He kept his gun trained on Danny as the younger man threw back the covers and eased his way out of bed.

Grabbing jeans and a shirt, Danny made his way to the bathroom, grateful that he was wearing pyjama bottoms at least. He had been so exhausted when he had finished his shower earlier that he had almost gone to bed nude. That would have added to his humiliation. He could feel both men looking at the dark bruises that dotted his torso and try as he might, he could not prevent the flush that crawled slowly up his neck to stain his face.

There was no time for a shower and Danny was thankful he had had one earlier. He dressed as quickly as he could and slipped on shoes when he returned to the bedroom. He was dying for a cup of coffee, but he knew that he had no hopes of getting one. "I'm ready," he said, trying to pretend he had a choice.

With the guns concealed but still trained on him, he obediently went out of the building and got into the waiting car. With resignation, he saw the ropes and blindfold come out and soon found himself secured. He knew all this was meant to keep him off-balance and he had to admit that it was working. He was incredibly vulnerable and the fact that he had basically allowed himself to be tied up meant that whatever happened was his own fault.

Once more, he was driven around for quite a while before being led into a house and deposited on a chair. This time, he was listening harder and heard the faint sounds of someone coming across the carpet towards him. He didn't flinch as the voice spoke.

"Well done. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Thanks for nothing," Danny grunted. "Weren't you the one who told me I'd better not fail?" He twisted his hands against the ropes. "Is this really necessary?" he demanded, holding his bound wrists out. "I did what you asked and believe me, it wasn't easy."

"I still don't trust you," the voice replied.

"I just blew up the governor's car for you," Danny retorted, suddenly angry. "I'll go down for doing that and believe me, it probably won't be long before McGarrett catches up with me. I can't stand the guy, but he is a good cop. He gets things done!" He struggled harder against the ropes. "That's it! I'm done! Untie me! I'm leaving!" He pushed himself to his feet.

Unfortunately, Danny had momentarily forgotten about the other two men. A hand grabbed his arm and a fist buried itself in his midriff. Danny doubled over, gasping for breath, and a blow between the shoulders sent him face first to the floor.

A foot planted itself on his back, the heel grinding into his spine. Danny winced and tried to wriggle out from beneath it, to no avail. "Let that be a lesson to you," the voice said. "You are my creature now, to do with as I please. At the moment, it pleases me to keep you alive, but I will kill you in an instant if you don't do as I say. Do you understand?" The heel ground harder. "Do you understand?"

"I understand," Danny whispered.

The foot moved. "Get up, Williams," the voice ordered.

Knowing this was yet another humiliation tactic, Danny thought for a whole second about refusing, but he was too vulnerable; nobody knew where he was and he had no desire to end up dead. Getting to his feet with his hands bound was not easy, but he managed it in the end. His back and stomach ached from the abuse he had taken.

Something cold and sharp pricked at his throat. Danny froze as the knife blade gently caressed his skin, waiting for the moment when the blade would be plunged into the jugular and he would bleed his life away on what was undoubtedly a very expensive carpet. "You're going to learn your lesson well, Williams," the voice said. "You are going to take this knife and use it to stab Chin Ho Kelly. He had better die, Williams, do you understand?"

"Chin has a family," Danny protested. He thought of the times he had spent at the Kelly house, surrounded by the children and he knew that he could not follow this order, regardless of what happened to himself.

"That's irrelevant," the voice told him.

"I'm not doing it," Danny declared. "Not Chin. Not Kono. They've done nothing to me."

The knife blade dug in sharply just under his jaw and Danny felt blood trickling down his neck, but he didn't care. He would not hurt Chin or Kono; he wouldn't.

"You don't want to hurt those men, yet you say you could kill McGarrett?" the voice asked doubtfully. "Why do I find this difficult to believe?"

"McGarrett is a bastard," Danny breathed, afraid to talk with the knife lodged in his skin. "Chin and Kono are my friends."

"Many people say McGarrett is your friend," the voice insisted, although the knife withdrew.

Breathing slightly more easily, Danny continued to argue. "He treated me like something he had scraped off his shoe," Danny retorted scornfully. "Chin, Kono and I had to stick together to put up with him. I won't hurt them, but I'll gut McGarrett without a problem."

"I believe you, Williams," the voice assured him. "However, I don't want to put your loyalty to your former comrades to the test. You're going to stay here until the time is right for you to kill McGarrett. Oh don't worry," he added as Danny stiffened. "You won't be here that long."

The man must have made some gesture, for Danny was given a sharp pull on one arm. "Wait!" he protested. "I know why I want McGarrett to pay, but why do you?"

There was a pause, and then the blindfold was pulled off. Danny blinked to clear his vision and a surge of adrenalin surged through his gut as he recognised the man in the expensive suit. "Nicholas London," he breathed.

"So now you know," London replied.

For years, on and off, H5-O had been chasing Nicholas London. He was a high-class drug and arms dealer and he used and discarded people as the mood took him. He had operations all over mainland America and frequently came to Hawaii to send drugs and arms to various other locations around the world. So far, he had evaded capture. London was not his real name – it was where he had been born. On his last visit to the island, London had been involved in a shoot-out with Steve. The big detective had been injured, London had escaped, but Steve had killed his right-hand man. That man turned out to be London's son.

All the pieces had fallen into place for Danny. He knew that his position was even more precarious than he had first thought. London would kill him as soon as he killed McGarrett. There was little doubt that somehow London would contrive to make it seem like Danny and Steve had killed each other. Goodness knows, their argument was common knowledge; it would be believed.

"What guarantee do I have that you won't kill me?" Danny demanded.

"None at all," London smiled. Danny had seen warmer smiles on sharks. "But as of now, you are my prisoner, Williams. You will kill McGarrett and as an added bonus, the governor will die, too. Everything will be all nicely tidied up and you will carry the can." He smiled. "Do you really think I'm that stupid, Detective?"

"I don't know what you mean," Danny denied.

"Oh I think you do," London scoffed. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you think I didn't recognise Sgt Duke Lukela at the building site?" He held up his hand as Danny opened his mouth to protest. "I recognised him, Detective. This is all a cover, isn't it? The newspaper articles, the drunkenness, the fights. You haven't been fired from 5-O, have you? McGarrett has thrown you to the wolves, Detective. But he'll get his, and you'll get the blame. Ever been in prison, Danny? I'm sure there are some men there who'll like you a lot." He laughed at the expression on Danny's face. "Lock him up," he told his goons and walked away as they dragged Danny out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

"Steve." Chin Ho Kelly looked grave and behind him, Kono looked worried. That alone was enough to drag McGarrett's attention from the paper he had been reading.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I got a call from one of Danny's neighbours," Chin explained. "Danny was taken from his place this morning by two men. He hasn't come back. The neighbour says she has seen the two men before, hanging around, watching the building and following Danny."

"What time this morning?" Steve asked, glancing at the clock. It was almost 9pm.

"Just after 8.30," Chin replied. "Boss…"

"Don't," Steve answered. "Better sit down. I've got something to tell you." He pursed his lips as the detectives sat down. "Danny and I haven't really quarrelled. He's under cover, trying to trap Nicholas London." The looks on his detective's faces said it all. "London wants to kill me and the governor. We hoped that he would recruit Danny to do it and Danny would alert me."

"Seems its backfired then," Chin commented. He hadn't meant to say that aloud, but he couldn't hide his hurt that he and Kono had been excluded from the plan.

"We were so careful," Steve muttered. He wondered when he had risen to his feet, for he found himself pacing. "Danny only called from payphones; I kept my distance and I tried to make sure you kept yours from him, too. What could have gone wrong?" He shook his head. "They must have seen Danny setting the explosives…"

"Danny blew up the governor's car?" Kono cried.

"Yeah," Steve nodded. "That was why the witness you found thought it was a different watchman – it was. It was a retired navy friend of mine."

"So that was why he changed his story and said he wasn't sure anymore," Kono sighed.

"Yes," the big man agreed. "Unless… Duke! They must have recognised Duke!"

"Duke? What does he have to do with this?" Chin asked.

"We got Duke in to be a watchman at the building site where Danny 'stole' the dynamite," Steve explained.

"We didn't hear about any theft," Kono frowned. Usually, missing explosives were handed straight to 5-O.

"The company was paid for it," Steve explained. "So they wouldn't have reported anything." He sat down abruptly. "Have you been to Danno's apartment?" he asked.

"We got HPD to seal it off and I sent Che down," Chin replied. "We thought we ought to talk to you before we went down." He sent Steve a look. "Didn't you trust us?"

"Of course I did," Steve replied. "But the scene we played out had to look right. It had to look like you knew nothing about all this. That was why we had all the arguments before hand. Not all of them were faked. I wasn't happy about Danny taking this assignment on, but he insisted." For a moment, Steve felt his iron control slipping and he pulled in a deep breath and held it for a moment until he regained his composure. "I don't…"

The phone rang. Steve frowned at it before answering. "McGarrett."

"Ah, Mr McGarrett, how pleasant to talk to you again. I was just remarking to Mr Williams that I hadn't seen you for some time. No doubt time will remedy that, but I doubt if you will see me. I just wanted to let you know that I saw through your plan. However, Mr Williams will be carrying out the plan regardless of what you may or may not want. Of course, it won't be carried out to your timetable anymore."

"What do you want, London?" Steve was gripping the receiver so tightly that his knuckles were bleached of all colour.

"I don't want anything, McGarrett," London replied. "I was just giving you a friendly warning. Let me give you another one. If I see any cop too close to where I am, you will find your Mr Williams dead."

"I don't know where you are," Steve admitted.

"Now, now, McGarrett," London chided. "I'm not going to fall for a simple trick like that. I'm hardly going to tell you where I am. But my warning stands just the same. I'll be seeing you anon, but you won't be seeing me."

"Don't count on that!" Steve promised.

The laugh that echoed down the phone line would linger in Steve's mind for hours to come. It didn't bode well for Danny's future.

"We've got to find him!" Steve declared. He quickly began to fill in the other two men on all the goings on of the past few weeks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The basement was completely dark. Not a single chink of light found its way into the damp, musty space. Danny had almost fallen down the flight of stairs leading down to it and undoubtedly would have, had it not been for the iron grip on his arms. He had been flung down the last couple of steps and stumbled to his knees. A shackle was padlocked around his ankle and then the men left and the light went out.

For a few moments, Danny continued to kneel there, allowing himself time to recover from the shock he had just had and to hope that he would develop some night vision. They had known this undercover operation was fraught with danger and risky in the extreme, but they felt that there was no other choice. Danny had insisted that he go undercover, pushing for the mission to hide his fear. He wished now that he had been more honest with his friend, but Steve kept everyone at arm's length and although Danny knew that he was Steve's closest friend, there were still some things it was difficult – impossible – to say to him.

After a couple of minutes to settle his nerves, Danny took stock of his situation. His hands were still bound behind him and now there was a metal shackle on his leg. Still on his knees, Danny felt around the restraint, feeling every nook and cranny, but there didn't seem to be a way to get it off at the moment.

His next priority was to find out as much as he could about his prison. There might be something there that would help him escape. He had to believe that.

As he felt his way carefully and awkwardly around the wall, Danny realised he could smell the sea over the musty smell of the basement. He stopped moving and listened carefully and was rewarded with the faint sound of waves lapping on the shore. So he was near the sea. Lots of places were near the sea, but that did narrow the parameters a bit. There were not that many big homes with basements built near the sea. That thought cheered him a bit. He might yet find more clues that would tell him where he was.

Resuming his search, Danny was abruptly jerked to a halt as the chain attached to the shackle ran out. Discouraged, he realised that there was still a lot of the space he was unable to reach. He tugged uselessly against the thick chain, but all he succeeded in doing was hurting his ankle. Sighing, he sat down, leaning against the wall. Damp crept through his thin shirt and up from the earth floor. After a time, he began to shiver and as the day wore on, he felt more and more wretched. Dismally, he wondered how long he was going to be kept there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There were no clues in Danny's apartment apart from the fact the lock had been forced. Danny's bed was unmade, but he was a bachelor and Steve suspected that was hardly unusual. The place wasn't trashed and the only fingerprints to be found belonged to Danny.

The neighbour, having been helpful enough in alerting them to Danny's disappearance, now clammed up and claimed that she wouldn't recognise the two men again, even though she had said she'd seen them several times in the last few days. No amount of coaxing from any of the men made her change her mind. Steve was more than disappointed. He had hoped that she would be able to pick the men out from mug shots. Knowing who these two men were might pinpoint where London was.

There was no point in going back to the Palace. McGarrett urged Chin and Kono to go home and get some rest. They would start again first thing in the morning and morning was only too near. Steve took his own advice, going home to get some rest.

It was fragmented at best and he was glad to rise with the dawn and head in to work. Chin and Kono both arrived early, too and they settled into Steve's office with coffee. "We need to find out where London is staying," Steve declared. "Kono, go and see if the coconut wireless has any ideas. Chin, I want you to look in to high end rentals. London isn't going to be found in some dump and he can't go to an hotel when he has Danny as a prisoner." He didn't want to think that perhaps Danny was already dead.

"Right, boss," Kono said and left the room.

"Steve, when and where were you hoping to spring the trap on London?" Chin asked.

"We thought that Danny would be able to persuade London that the best time to get me and the governor together would be at the police academy graduation parade in two days," Steve replied. "We hoped that Danny would have convinced London that he really had fallen from grace by then and we would be able to move in and arrest London just before anything happened." McGarrett realised he was pacing again, but he didn't attempt to stop the movement. "We knew it was a slim chance, and risky, but Danny insisted we try! I should have known better."

"It sounds like a risk worth taking if it got rid of that scum London," Chin pointed out, not sure exactly why Steve was taking the blame – not that this was entirely unusual where Danny was concerned. "The kaikaina was the right choice, given how often you two argue the odds. It isn't either of your faults that this went wrong."

"But it is!" Steve countered in a low voice. He sank onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. "It is my fault, Chin. I killed London's son and I should have known that he would want to take from me the person I hold most dear." While the bond between Steve and Danny was no secret to anyone – which was why the staged arguments were so devastating to the people watching – Steve's open admission of it was a first. Steve was a very private man when it came to his feelings. Kono and Chin would say they knew him quite well, if asked, but Danny and Steve were the closest of friends; indeed, they were brothers in all but blood.

Now, Steve glanced up and his emotions were clear for Chin to read before the 5-O chief's mask fell into place. "I should have known that he wanted Danny to suffer and die to torture me before he killed me."

For a moment, Chin didn't know what to say. He was used to dealing with his children's problems, but they were all still of an age where the things that loomed large in their lives were in actual fact quite trivial and easily dispelled by a few words from their parents. "Do you still think London will target the parade?" he asked in the end, sensing that Steve could not bear to talk more of his feelings.

"What better chance will he get?" Steve asked.

"Then whatever he has in mind for Danny is going to happen in the next 48 hours," Chin explained. "That's how much time we have to find him." He rose. "We'll find the kaikaina," he vowed. "Alive," he added as a promise to himself, Steve, Kono and most of all Danny.

Pulling himself together, Steve nodded. "I'd better get the security arrangements for the parade tightened up," he agreed. "Oh and Chin? Since London has told us he's here, let's get an APB out on him and Danny."

"On it, boss," Chin nodded and left the office.

"We'll get you back, Danno," McGarrett vowed. "If it's the last thing I do."

Drawing in a deep breath and composing himself, he lifted the phone.


	6. Chapter 6

The sound of a door opening wakened Danny from the light doze he had fallen into. He opened his eyes in time to be blinded as the light came on. Wincing, he watched warily as London came into the basement with his goons.

"You really should get up when I come in," London commented. "Weren't you ever taught manners?"

"I don't need a lesson in manners from you," Danny retorted. He knew he shouldn't rise to the bait but he couldn't help himself sometimes.

Looking amused, London nodded to the goons, who yanked Danny to his feet. They held on to his arms and Danny wryly reflected that he would soon have hand-shaped bruises there. His musings were rudely interrupted by a vicious backhand slap. "I would advise you to watch your mouth as well as mind your manners," London warned him, looking with satisfaction at the split lip he had just inflicted on his prisoner.

"You're going to be disappointed," Danny advised him. He thought he was more prepared for the blow this time, but he really wasn't.

His ears were still ringing when London grabbed his hair. "You're going to tell me all the security arrangements for the graduation parade," he told Danny. "The fake ones and the real ones."

"Since I don't know anything about them, you're going to be out of luck," Danny mumbled. "And I wouldn't tell you even if I could."

"Oh I think you will," London smiled. "I really think you will."

His feline smile and smug self-assuredness scared Danny far more than the beating the goons gave him, bad though it was. London stood back and watched, smiling throughout.

As he lay on the damp floor, his body aching, unable to move for the moment, Danny wondered dimly what London had in mind for him. He tried to see into the man's mind, but he was too hurt to fathom what might happen. He could only lie there and wait to see what happened next.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Any word on Detective Williams?" the governor asked. He had just been told about the security arrangements for the parade and approved them. Now, he looked at Steve with concern.

"No, Sir," Steve replied, feeling that first word sorely. Danny had been missing for 48 hours and the parade was only 12 hours away. Steve had barely slept and if it hadn't been for Jenny, Chin and Kono, he probably wouldn't have eaten, either.

Every lead they had found had petered out. There had been a number of high-end rental properties taken within the last couple of weeks, but each one had proven to be genuine. Kono had been no more successful with the coconut wireless. Everyone was afraid of London and were saying nothing. Steve now had his staff looking at recent property purchases, but it was slow going with no real hope of success.

"Did he know anything about the security arrangements?" Jameson asked.

"No, Sir, that was something we were both in agreement about," Steve reassured him. "If he genuinely didn't know, then he couldn't let anything slip if his cover was blown." He made a wry face. "But because it's a public parade, the route will be published in the morning papers."

"Of course and I know that you will have every inch of it covered," Jameson declared in a too-hearty voice. He didn't relish being a target and couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Indeed I have," Steve agreed. "If you will excuse me, Governor?" He rose and left. Danny's continued absence and London's ominous silence weighed heavily on his spirit. He had not wanted Danny to take on this assignment, but never had he dreamt that it would turn out so badly.

"Steve!" Kono all but jumped on the older man as he walked into the Palace. "We've found London's house!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was empty. Steve looked around the musty basement as Che Fong and the lab boys worked on the few things they had found. There were splashes of blood here and there, but not enough to indicate a life-threatening injury. The thing that kept Steve's attention and turned his stomach was the shackle chained to the wall. It bore traces of blood and Steve did not doubt that it was Danny's.

"We were so close!" Kono sounded despairing. By all accounts, they had missed London leaving less than an hour before. The homes in this development were far enough apart to guarantee privacy, but the security guard at the gate logged all traffic in and out. He knew the car belonging to London's property had gone out, but could not say how many people were inside the vehicle as all the windows were blacked out. Danny could have been in the backseat or the trunk, but either way, the guard had not seen him. The only plus was that they had the make, model and plate number of the car and Chin had already issued the APB.

"He won't get far with all HPD looking for him," Chin declared, although London had so far managed to elude them entirely.

"Let's hope so," Steve sighed. "Come on, there's nothing more we can do here."

There was silence as they drove back to the Palace. Steve was glad enough to let Chin drive; he was too exhausted and his work wasn't finished for the night. In a couple of hours, he was going to check the placement and security of the temporary stage that had been set up in the academy grounds. There were guards on duty, but it never hurt to check their attentiveness with a surprise visit.

"I'll come with you, boss," Kono offered. "I don't have any plans for the evening."

"Thanks, Kono." For a moment, McGarrett was tempted to tell the Hawaiian to just go home, but he was honest enough with himself to admit he didn't want to be alone. "I appreciate your company."

While Chin left to go home to his family, Kono organised some take-out for himself and McGarrett and they ate quickly before leaving. It was late in the evening and the sun had long set. The air was fragrant with the scent of flowers as they arrived at the academy grounds and parked the car.

"That was too easy," McGarrett commented. "Why isn't there someone on duty on the gate?"

"Hold it!" ordered a hard voice from behind them and they turned slowly to find an armed HPD officer covering them with his weapon. Upon seeing Steve's face, he relaxed his stance. "Mr McGarrett. Sorry, sir."

"That's all right," Steve allowed. "Why weren't you at the gate?"

"My partner went to take a break. There was no one to relieve him immediately, so I thought it would be better if I placed myself somewhere that I could see the gate, but nobody could see me. That way, I would be able to surprise anyone who came in, like I just did with you."

It was probably the lamest excuse McGarrett had ever heard, but the man had certainly got the drop on them. Reading between the lines, Steve guessed that the partner had gone for a leak or something to eat and this man had panicked when he saw the boss's big Mercury coming his way. Still, there was something here that didn't quite fit, although Steve was not sure what it was. He knew most of the cops by sight, but not this man. "I'd rather you just stayed on the gate," Steve told him curtly. With a jerk of his head to Kono, the two men walked away.

"He was lying," Kono ventured in a low voice.

"He was indeed," McGarrett agreed. "But why? Do you know him?" The cop was a haole, but Kono knew most of the HPD guys.

"Never seen him before," Kono confirmed. "Want me to check him out, boss?"

"Yes, after. Let's check the platform first."

They walked across the wide grassy area, already marked up with tape showing where the seating would be placed the following morning. A lone portable spotlight was trained on the platform but there was no sign of the cops who should be guarding it. His instincts thoroughly aroused, Steve paused. "This is not right." He cautiously pulled his weapon, glad to see that Kono was also reacting to the situation.

The two guards were lying dead in the bushes about 10 feet from the platform. "Get the ME and some back up," Steve ordered. "I'm going to take a closer look at that platform. I want the man from the gate, too. Don't let him get away."

The platform was about eight feet high. The front and two sides were hung with fabric to hide the supporting structures and wheels underneath. Steps went up at either end of the front of the platform and there would be seats for the dignitaries placed there in the morning, along with a table bearing the certificates the graduates would receive from the governor. There was a tarpaulin haphazardly slung across the back to hide the underside, since it was less than scenic.

It was pitch dark and there was no moon. Steve realised the futility and danger of trying to check under the platform when he couldn't see under it. The spotlight was facing the wrong way to be helpful. Warily, Steve went back to the car to retrieve a flashlight, keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings the whole time. There was no sign of Kono and no sign of the guard from the gate, so Steve snatched a moment to confirm that back-up was on the way before he headed back to the platform. He had to hope Kono was all right, because his instincts were telling him that he needed to see under the platform as soon as possible. He was certain London had done something to it, even if whatever it was, was just a diversion.

He hadn't expected to see what he found. The flashlight poorly illuminated the underneath area, but it showed Steve what he needed to know. He gasped and had to force himself not to rush forward as heedlessly as his emotions demanded, for there, tightly bound to the main support and shaking his head, was Danny. The thing that made McGarrett heed his second's warning was the large bomb that seemed inextricably linked to his friend!


	7. Chapter 7

They had come for him when he was sleeping again. Well, Danny wasn't sure if the word really was sleep, but he supposed it covered the twilight world that he had been in. This time, there had been no beating and while he was more than grateful for that, he had still resisted with all his might and main and had got nowhere. A cloth had been forced into his mouth, which had then been sealed with duct tape. He had been blindfolded again and his feet tightly bound. The goons had wrestled him into the trunk of the car and he had tried to brace himself as best he could against the turns the car took. It didn't stop him being thrown around and there was nothing in the trunk that could help him escape.

After some time, the car stopped and the engine was switched off. Danny heard the doors slamming closed and braced himself, but the trunk did not open and after a while, he relaxed as much as he could. The ache in his body stopped him from dozing off, but he was aware that he was drifting, his thoughts not quite focused.

The sudden opening of the trunk startled him and he jumped uselessly against his bonds. Rough hands grabbed him and yanked him out of the trunk and he drew in a breath of sweet, fresh air. He was half-dragged, half-carried across an uneven surface that he suspected might be grass, but he had no way of telling. He sensed them entering somewhere, but to his limited senses, it didn't seem like a building.

He was forced to his knees, something hard and cold between them and then he was jerked closer to the metallic object by a rope around his waist. He resisted, earning another powerful backhand slap across the face which left his ears ringing. Danny swallowed carefully as he tried to regain his equilibrium and understand what was happening to him. His body was being thoroughly bound to what seemed to be a metal post and fear was thrilling through his gut and prickling along his nerve endings. Where was he and what was going on?

When the blindfold was snatched away a few minutes later, Danny was none the wiser. His body was moulded to the post, with ropes around his knees, his waist, his chest and his neck. He had minimal movement of his head and he was unable to see much because of the dim light. His hands were untied, but to his disgust, he was unable to make any move to fight back because they were so sore and stiff. Before he could muster control of his muscles, his left hand was swathed in duct tape, rendering it useless. Frustrated, Danny gritted his teeth.

"Listen good, cop," London said, crouching down in front of him. "Revenge is sweet and it doesn't get much sweeter than this." He placed a small device into Danny's right hand and his hand was taped closed around it, his thumb the only thing that was free. "This is a dead man's switch," London told him. "Do you know what that is?" He laughed, for he knew well that Danny was an explosives expert. "It's attached to this bomb, which is attached to this post and oh! Guess what? You're attached to this post, too and in a moment, you'll be firmly attached to the bomb as well. I'm going to arm it remotely and you won't know exactly when, but, if you take your thumb off this switch, you'll blow yourself and anyone else nearby to kingdom come." He deliberately placed Danny's thumb on the switch and exerted pressure. There was a small click to show that it had been activated.

Horror flooded Danny's veins. He didn't want to die and he certainly didn't want to die like this, but right at the moment, he was more concerned about any innocent victims he might take with him. The goons carefully placed the bomb against the post right at the level of his chest and tied it round him, reinforcing the ropes with duct tape. His hands were tied together again and then the rope was wound around the post and up around the back of his neck before being tied off to the bomb.

Satisfied, London looked down at Danny. "You won't know when the bomb will be activated," he told Danny. "But if that switch isn't depressed when it is, the bomb will go off. Don't worry, Daniel. I'll be close by, waiting to see what happens." He patted the detective's curly head. "I'm going to phone a personal threat from you to HPD, warning that you are going to kill the governor and McGarrett. The papers are going to get the same threat. Everyone will know you were at the back of this. You sadly bungled the job and killed yourself. Explosives are so unpredictable." London brushed off the front of his jacket. "It's been fun, Daniel," he smiled. "Take care of yourself." Laughing, he walked away.

Barely able to move an inch, Danny emitted a groan. He could see no way out of this mess.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Danno!" Steve moved forward cautiously, ignoring the frantic head shaking his second was currently engaged in. "Take it easy." It hurt his heart to see Danny trussed up like this, but Steve had to know what they were dealing with. He played the flashlight over his detective, careful not to shine the light directly into his eyes. Danny was dirty and dishevelled, his clothing torn and blood splotched. His skin was pale and bruises disfigured his face.

It was clear at once that the bomb squad would be needed. Steve longed to just slice through the ropes that kept Danny bound, but he feared what that move might do. Setting the flashlight down, he reached for the duct tape on his friend's face and slowly eased it off. Danny winced and half spat out the cloth in his mouth. Steve pulled it clear, discarding it on the ground. "Danny, are you all right?" he demanded.

"You've got to get out of here," Danny croaked, all the moisture leached from his mouth and throat. "I don't know when this will go off and my hand is on a dead man's switch. Steve, get out of here!"

"Your hand…" Steve looked more closely and winced. "I'll get the bomb squad, Danno. Don't worry. As soon as I come back, I'll put my finger on the switch." He patted Danny's shoulder. "We'll get you out of this."

"You don't understand," Danny whispered, anguished. "You can't swap the pressure like that. It might be enough to set this thing off." He coughed slightly. "London said he would be watching. Steve, get out!"

"Not without you!" Steve vowed. "I'll be right back." Leaving the light with Danny, he ran out from under the platform and headed towards the car.

It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the difference in light and he almost missed the man who threw himself from the undergrowth. Steve half-turned to meet the attack and went down under the other man's weight. He took a blow on his shoulder and blocked another by raising his arm, but he knew he had to subdue his opponent – whoever it was – fast! Danny's life depended on him getting help.

Punches continued to fly between the two men, but neither could gain an advantage over the other. They rolled around on the grass, grappling for position. Steve could not get at his gun and he was determined the other man would not get at it either. He rolled away, and found himself pinned on his back. Under his hand, Steve felt a hard object and without a moment's pause, he grasped the large round stone and crashed it off his opponent's head. The other man fell to the side, off Steve, but didn't let go. Steve took advantage of his unexpected blow and put the other man down and out with one devastating punch.

Panting, getting shakily to his feet, Steve wiped the sweat from his face and winced at the sore places he found. He would doubtless bear some bruising later, but for now, that didn't matter. He reached down to cuff the unconscious man at his feet and dragged him over to the car. He didn't know who the guy was, but it wasn't London. It took a bit of doing, but Steve was able to heave him into the trunk. Drawing a deep breath, and anxiously wondering where Kono was, Steve reached for the mic. "Central, this is McGarrett. I need the bomb squad as well as HPD backup. I may need an ambulance, too. Send one on standby. We need portable lighting, as well."

"10-4," the dispatcher acknowledged. "HPD back-up as requested should be with you shortly."

It was a relief to know that Kono had been able to radio for help, but Steve was still worried about where the big man had gotten to. He didn't have the leisure to look for him though. Danny's position was precarious and Steve needed to be with him. London was almost certainly watching the goings-on and Steve feared he would remotely arm the bomb and then do something to ensure that Danny could no longer keep the switch depressed.

"Kono?" he called, but there was no answering shout. His heart in his mouth, Steve ran back across the grass to the platform.

The expression on Danny's face when he saw his mentor was a mixture of fear and relief: fear that Steve's return placed his friend in danger and relief that he was no longer alone. Somehow, Danny was sure that Steve would manage to get him out of this.

"How's it, Danno?" Steve asked as he knelt by Danny.

"I'm fine," Danny lied. The simple act of keeping his thumb on the switch was already using significantly more effort than it had a few minutes before. His already aching muscles were now trembling from maintaining the position he had been forced into and the inability to move was wearing on his nerves. He glanced at Steve's face in the uncertain light and saw that Steve had some understanding of his predicament.

"Can I remove this rope from around your neck?" Steve asked, exploring it cautiously with his fingers. He described where it went as best he could. Danny thought about it, mentally tracing the rope as Steve spoke.

"Yes," he agreed. Being able to move his head would be a relief and the rope was biting uncomfortably into his skin. He still couldn't help tensing as Steve sliced through the rope. He flexed his neck and Steve's long fingers gently subbed the abraded area. "Thanks." He swallowed dryly. "You don't have something to drink, do you?" His thirst was overwhelming.

"I'm sorry; I wish I had." While the regrets were real enough, Steve was concentrating on extricating his friend from this predicament, not realising how long it had been since Danny had had anything to eat or drink.

Sighing, for he hadn't expected any other answer, Danny glanced up as a flicker of movement behind Steve caught his attention. He opened his mouth to speak but was pre-empted by an all-too-familiar voice. "Mr McGarrett, if you don't want both you and Williams to be blown to Kingdom Come in the next few moments, I suggest you stop what you are doing and put your hands up."

Freezing, Steve shot a glance at Danny. His second was already pale, but he had lost what little remaining colour he had and sweat had sprung into being on his brow. The faintest of trembles coursed over his limbs. Moving slowly and keep eye contract with Danny, Steve raised his hands. "Nicolas London," Steve said, grimly. "I thought you wanted the governor to die, too?" His tone was admirably conversational.

"The governor would be a bonus," London replied calmly. "You are the one I really want to die. Get on your feet and face me."

With a nod of reassurance to his still-captive officer, Steve got to his feet and turned to face London. The Englishman was not carrying a gun, as Steve had suspected. He held what looked, in the uncertain light, like a small TV remote control. "You've got me," Steve offered. "Let Danny go."

"Oh come, Mr McGarrett," London laughed. "Do you really think that will work? Mr Williams is going to die in his own bomb plot, taking you along with him."

Sirens, which Steve had only subconsciously noticed before, were drawing closer. Help was on the way. He feared that it wouldn't get there on time. "Nobody will believe that of Danny," Steve stated confidently. He could hear Danny's uneven breathing behind him and silently vowed to get his friend out of this situation alive. At the moment though, a plan eluded him. "You do know that half the HPD has just arrived don't you?" the lead detective went on. "It's going to take more than the few minutes that you have left to blow us up. Danny isn't tired yet, are you, Danno?"

Valiantly Danny replied, "No, Steve." McGarrett hoped that only he could hear the exhaustion that mingled with the strain of nerves stretched to the breaking point.

"Believe me, McGarrett, I can do it," London snarled. "You'll have plenty of time to regret killing my son as you wait for your own death after seeing Williams die."

While it seemed that London did not have a gun, Steve felt a thrill of fear. A single shot from even a mediocre marksman could kill or seriously injure the helpless detective. He took a sideways step, blocking Danny from London's view.

Outside, over London's shoulder, in the light from the lone spot, Steve could see cops crossing the grass warily. Well to the fore was Kono! Steve felt a surge of relief as he fought to keep his attention on London. He didn't know what Kono had in mind, but he didn't want to alert the criminal to the big Hawaiian detective's presence.

"Your son was a criminal, just like you and he died in a shootout while you resisted arrest," Steve reminded the man. He still carried the scar from this man's gun. He kept his eyes trained on London.

At the last possible second, London sensed someone behind him. He half turned as Kono launched himself at the criminal. There was an audible _click_ as London armed the bomb and the device itself began to tick. Danny made a sound of despair. "Get out!" he croaked. He didn't know how much longer he could hold down the switch. Lack of food and water, the beating he had endured - it had all taken a toll.

"Not without you!" McGarrett vowed again as he dived at Danny. Kono was more than a match for London and had the criminal pinned to the ground. "Cuff him and get out of here, Kono!" McGarrett ordered. He began to slice at the ropes that held the bomb against the pole.

"Steve, please," Danny groaned but his boss ignored him.

Suddenly, there was another man there, clad in the heavily padded uniform of a bomb disposal expert. "Get him out," he barked at Steve. "Hurry!"

He didn't need to say it twice. Danny was still entangled in rope, his limbs bound, but Steve didn't hesitate. His friend was no longer bound to the pole and that was what mattered. Grabbing his man, he ran for the outside. Kono was there in seconds, reaching for Danny's other arm and together, they ran across the grass, carrying Danny between them. There was a bleeding scrape down Kono's cheek and it looked like he was developing a black eye, too, but there was no time or breath to ask.

Behind them, the bomb disposal expert heaved the bomb as far into the open sports field as he could and dived for cover. With an enormous roar, the bomb exploded, flames shooting high into the air, lighting up the dark sky. The concussion from the blast knocked everyone in the vicinity off their feet. Dirt and debris rained down on the Five-O men, pelting them with small missiles. Steve thought he should shelter Danny with his body, but he had had the wind knocked out of him and something pinged painfully off his head, sending him into darkness for a moment.

His next thought was that hands were grabbing at him and Steve resisted for a moment as he felt Danny being taken from his hands. Forcing his eyes open, Steve saw that the hands belonged to cops and he relaxed slightly, allowing them to pull himself and his detectives further away from the inferno that blazed behind them.

Breath came back with a jolt and Steve could feel his head clearing a bit. He shook off the men who were trying to help him and staggered over to Danny's side. "Danno?"

The younger man had his eyes closed. He didn't respond. "Get an ambulance," Steve ordered, fumbling with the ropes and tape that kept his man captive. "Kono, are you all right?" he asked.

"Fine, boss," Kono replied. The big Hawaiian looked dazed, but he was awake and aware and responding, so Steve took his reply at face value – for the moment. He would make sure that Kono was checked out at the hospital, too.

The ropes and particularly the tape on Danny's hands eluded Steve's fingers. Another cop efficiently cut through the hemp with his pocket knife. Someone else teased the tape loose. Steve, watching in bemusement, wondered why his own coordination was so off. He glanced over his shoulder at the fire that was burning on the playing field and remembered the suited-up member of the bomb squad. "Is…?" Steve couldn't think who that man had been, although he knew him perfectly well.

"It's all right, sir," a cop told him, somehow guessing what he wanted to know. "Nobody was killed or badly injured, but I think Jim Douglas probably can't hear anything very much right now." The young cop guided McGarrett's attention to the bomb disposal van where his crew was helping Douglas get out of his suit. As the fire department turned hoses on the blaze, Douglas glanced over and gave Steve a thumbs up.

There was a lot of noise and shouting as the police secured the area. "Duke!" Steve exclaimed suddenly, seeing the sergeant going past. "There's a man in the trunk of my car. I think he's part of this too." He didn't know how he could possibly have forgotten that.

"We'll get him, Steve," Duke Lukela promised, signalling to another man to deal with the prisoner. "Are you all right, Steve?" He crouched by the Five-O detectives, eyeing them all worriedly.

"Of course," Steve responded briskly, but he was rather taken aback to realise how clearly he could see Duke given that it was dark. Blinking, he saw that more temporary lighting had been set up, turning night into day. How had he missed that? "Good work on the lights," he added vaguely. Oddly, the praise only made the worried look that Duke wore intensify.

"Steve, I think you need to go to the hospital, too," Duke suggested gently.

"I'm fine," Steve insisted with asperity, but when he pushed to his feet, the world took a sickening tilt and he would have fallen if the HPD officer hadn't caught him.

"Come on," Duke urged, but Steve still baulked.

"Danno…"

"Danny's already in the ambulance," Duke soothed and with the help of a paramedic, he got Steve across the few feet of grass that separated him from the vehicle. As Steve got in, he was mildly surprised to see Kono already sitting on the bench and Danny on the stretcher. When had that happened?

Leaning over to touch Danny's arm, Steve saw a drop of blood land on the while blanket that covered his friend. A second drop joined the first, but it wasn't until a gauze pad was pressed to his own head that Steve realised he was bleeding. A head injury certainly explained his lack of concentration at the scene.


	8. Chapter 8

When they arrived at Queen's, Danny was whisked away by a team led by Doc Bergman and despite Steve's protests that he wanted to go with them, he was taken into another room. What followed was a jumble of lights and images and sensations to the Five-O chief. He was x-rayed, stitched, bandaged and despite vigorous protests, put to bed. "I need to know about Danny," he insisted weakly, but his indomitable will could not overcome his body's weakness this time. The moderate concussion, plus the innumerable small injuries he had sustained in the bomb blast all combined to render Steve McGarrett too weak and tired to leave the bed.

He must have dozed for a while because he was awakened by the sound of the door to his room opening. He lifted ton-weight eyelids to see Bergman coming in. "Doc," he croaked. "How's Danno?"

"Recovering," Bergman replied, taking in Steve's haggard appearance. "He's going to be fine, Steve, but he's been pretty badly beaten. I'm going to be keeping him for several days. He is severely dehydrated and I've started him on antibiotics for the rope burns on his wrists."

"Can I see him?"

"Not tonight," Bergman decreed. "You need to rest, too. I promise, if there is any change in Danny's condition, you will be the first to know, but right now he's asleep and you should be, too."

For once, Steve knew he had to accept Berman's restrictions; he knew that if he got out of bed unaided, he would crumple ignominiously to the floor and he would never live that down. "Kono?" he asked with his final bit of strength.

"He's going to be all right, too," Bergman assured the groggy man. "A mild concussion and a bullet crease in his arm. He was sleeping when I looked in on him. All being well, he can go home in the morning."

"Good." With this last worry erased, Steve could no longer keep his eyes open. He heard Bergman say something else but couldn't make out the words. He succumbed willingly to the siren call of sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a measure of how exhausted Steve truly was that he didn't waken until about 9am. He had been wakened several times by the nurses during the early part of the night, checking his neuro responses after the concussion, but after they left him in peace, he had slept soundly. As he came awake to the bustle of a hospital, he gingerly sat up, vaguely aware that there was a breakfast tray on a moveable table by his bed. His head still ached, but he was no longer dizzy.

"If you ain't gonna eat dat, bruddah, I'll do it," a familiar voice offered and Steve turned his head to see Kono placidly stuffing the last forkful of breakfast into his mouth. The big Hawaiian looked fine, his colour good and his appetite clearly undiminished.

"I'll get round to it," McGarrett retorted. He smelt coffee and reached for the cup, finding that his muscles were sore. No surprise there. The coffee was not as hot as he would have liked, nor as strong, but it was wet and had caffeine in it and for the moment, that was good enough. "How are you feeling?" he asked Kono.

"I'm okay," Kono replied.

"Where did you get to last night?" McGarrett wondered, starting to pick at the rather unappetising food. He thought it quite likely that Kono might get to eat it.

"I went back to radio for back-up and saw the guy from the gate watching us. As soon as he saw me, he took off, so I went after him. He was pretty quick and he shot at me, but I caught him." Kono was surprisingly fleet of foot for someone of his build. Criminals often underestimated him. "By the time I got him back to the car, London had you and Danny. I dumped my guy in the car and came to help you." He made a face. "I'm sorry, boss, I wasn't quite quick enough."

"You'd have needed to have been Superman to be fast enough to have stopped him," McGarrett mused. "I'm glad you were there." He pushed the plate away. "How's Danny? Have you heard?"

"Nothing this morning," Kono admitted, helping himself to the discarded plate. "I guess no news is good news?"

"I need to see him," Steve declared and threw the covers back and started to swing his legs from the bed. His body was less than happy with the manoeuvre and told him so in no uncertain terms. Despite himself, Steve groaned.

"Pretty sore, huh, boss?" Kono sympathised.

"I'm fine," Steve lied, and completed the movement much more carefully. "Where are my clothes?" he demanded. "I'm not walking through the hospital wearing this!" He plucked disdainfully at the thin hospital gown he wore.

"Don't think your clothes survived," Kono offered. "Mine, either." He sounded very philosophical about it. "Chin will bring us something."

"What are you doing out of bed?" asked an irate voice. "Did I say you could get out of bed?"

"I'm going to see Danno, doc," Steve replied irritably. "Where are my clothes?"

"They didn't survive the ER," Bergman snapped back, unconsciously echoing Kono. "We had to cut them off you and they were saturated in blood." He assessed the head of Five-O visually, seeing that Steve was more or less steady on his feet, but clearly rather sore. "Sit down, Steve. I want to look at you before you go prowling around the hospital. Maybe by then Chin will have come in with some clothes for you."

For a moment, Kono thought there was going to be an almighty altercation between the two men, but McGarrett was clearly not feeling up to par, because he meekly sat down and allowed Bergman to start looking at him. "How's Danny?" he asked.

"Still sleeping," Bergman replied. "Are you dizzy?"

"No. When do you expect to release him?"

"Headache?"

"A bit. When, doc?"

"When he's ready to be released," Bergman retorted, exasperated. "Look, Steve, let me check you over and then we can talk about Dan. Okay?"

"Okay," Steve capitulated. He patiently answered the questions about how he felt and was remarkably honest, even though he thought the doctor was fussing over nothing. He had no serious injuries and he would get over his pain and stiffness more quickly if he was working. Besides, after he saw Danny, he was going to the Palace to question London. There was a lot to do.

Fortunately, by the time doc was finished, Chin had arrived with clothes for both Steve and Kono. Both of them got dressed and then they all went to see Danny.

To Steve's immense relief, his friend was awake when they went in. Danny was propped up on a few pillows and an IV dripped fluids from two bags into the back of his left hand. His wrists were wrapped in gauze and he seemed to be bruised everywhere they looked. "Hi, Steve," Danny smiled. "Kono, Chin. Good to see you."

"How are you, Danny?" Steve asked. He could see his aikane's eyes were not quite focused and wondered if that was the concussion or the drugs – or both.

"All right," Danny lied. He had the mother of all headaches and there wasn't a single place on his body that was not sore. "Ready to go home," he added hopefully.

"Oh no!" Bergman vetoed. "You're staying right there for another 24 hours at least, young man. Then we'll see how you're doing."

"But I'm fine," Danny protested.

"Oh yeah?" Bergman went to the window and lifted the blind, allowing bright sunshine to stream in the window. Danny winced and turned his head away. "You're still light sensitive, so you're not at all fine." He folded his arms and waited for the next part of the escape attempt.

The coroner wasn't disappointed when Danny turned to plead with Steve. "Steve, help me out here," he begged. "I'm fine."

"I'm with Doc on this one," Steve replied implacably. "You're not ready to go home yet. Don't worry, Danno. We got London and his goons and they aren't going to get away from us."

Disconsolately, Danny sighed, recognising that he was here for the duration. In truth, it didn't seem that bad. He didn't feel too good, although he wouldn't have admitted that under torture. "All right," he huffed and the others exchanged a quick, smiling glance. Danny was clearly on the road to recovery.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What've we got?" McGarrett asked Chin as he settled into his office chair with more care than usual.

"Che got back to us on the blood on that shackle we found at London's house," Chin replied. "The blood on it is the same group as Dan's. When they looked around the rest of the house, they found signs that there had been a shipment of arms there until very recently. They did find drugs in the attic; heroin and cocaine with a street value of almost a million dollars." Chin looked disgusted, as did Steve. Kono sighed heavily.

"Any ideas were the arms might have gone?" Steve asked, knowing the answer was probably no.

"Not yet," Chin replied.

"Well, we have plenty to hold London on," Steve mused thoughtfully. "Attempted murder, kidnapping, drug possession; I don't think London will be getting out of jail any time soon, do you?" It was incredibly satisfying to have the loose ends sewn up, although he wished Danny hadn't been hurt to do so. "Pity we can't get the guns."

"Don't be too sure of that," replied a familiar voice and Steve glanced up to see Duke Lukela coming into the office.

"What've you got?" Steve asked interestedly.

"We were pressing London's goons," Lukela replied. "One of them told us where the arms went."

"Let's go!" McGarrett commanded, jumping to his feet, aches and pain forgotten.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ship was small and badly rusted with the incongruous name of 'Sunshine'. It listed badly to one side and the engine, which was running, sounded rough. It was registered in Hawaii and had been plying the seas of the Pacific Ocean as a tramp freighter for more than 20 years.

Bearing a search warrant and with his gun drawn, Steve moved cautiously up the gangplank. There were a few crewmen wandering around, clearly preparing the ship for departure. With Chin and Kono at his back and armed HPD officers providing cover from the dock, they were able to make their way to the wheelhouse without interference and there they confronted the captain, who, of course, denied all knowledge of a shipment of arms on his vessel.

Leaving HPD to arrest the captain and question the crew, Steve and the others made their way below decks to the hold. They met a few more crew members en-route, but none of them were armed and they arrived safely at their destination.

The hold was packed with crates. Distastefully stepping into the inch or so of water that was sloshing around in the gunwales, they started prising open crates with the crowbars they had brought along for that purpose. It was hard, hot work down in the ship's belly, but it was rewarding. Not only did they find the vast shipment of weapons, but they also found some jade statues and other native artefacts hidden away amongst the sugar cane and coffee containers.

"Arrest the captain and then get someone down to the shipping company offices and seize their records and arrest the owners. Don't let anyone leave the building until I've spoken to them," Steve ordered via the radio. They had known for some time that there was smuggling going on, but hadn't been able to track down the perpetrators. They had taken a big step closer to closing that case as well.

As he supervised the removal of the arms from the ship, Steve was well satisfied, despite his wet feet and ruined dress shoes. They had caught London red-handed, they had stopped the distribution of a huge amount of hard drugs, they had prevented the arms leaving Hawaii and they had found some of the stolen and smuggled artefacts. It was a good day's work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was late in the evening, well past visiting hours, when Steve got back to the hospital. Danny was asleep, still supported by pillows. His colour was better but the bruising was worse. Steve gently rested his hand on his sleeping officer's arm. The skin was warm under his touch but Danny did not stir.

Sighing, Steve pulled a chair nearer and sat down. He simply looked at his friend, all too aware of how close he had come to losing him. He vowed never to allow Danny to do such dangerous undercover work again, but he knew that was a vow he would almost certainly not be able to keep. It was impossible to protect the members of his squad from danger, however much he wanted to. Danny was not a child to be protected for his own safety; he was an experienced police officer and he knew the risks.

The arm under his hand moved and Steve quickly removed it, not wanting to disturb the younger man. However, Danny's eyes had opened and he smiled. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey yourself," Steve replied, smiling back. "How're you doing now?"

"I'm all right," Danny sighed. "Tired; sore." He shrugged slightly. "You know."

"Indeed I do." Steve's body was now loudly protesting the abuse it had endured over the last 24 hours.

"You got enough to hold London on?" Danny asked. It worried him that somehow he might have done something that screwed everything up. His memory was a bit patchy about how the whole situation had ended.

"More than enough," Steve assured him, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He quickly updated Danny on the events of the day.

"That's terrific," Danny praised. He felt rather disappointed he had missed out on all the excitement.

"As soon as you're back, we'll clear up the smuggling case," Steve promised.

"I'm out of here in the morning," Danny replied. "Doc said I can come back to work in a couple of days." He rolled his eyes, because his idea of a couple of days and Doc's version of the same seldom met up. "I can do paperwork," he suggested hopefully. He hated to sit around doing nothing when he was hurt. Working took his mind off his ailments.

"But not tomorrow," McGarrett countered gently. "Maybe the next day." He knew that Danny would be back at work as soon as he felt up to it – probably even sooner than that. "You need to get some sleep, aikane."

"You, too," Danny agreed. "Go home, Steve. I'm fine."

"I'll just sit here for a few more minutes, until you're asleep," Steve replied. "Then I'll go home." He realised how tired he was and was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed. But for the next few minutes, he was content to sit there and watch his friend sleep and was thankful that Danny's injuries were not serious and they would soon be working together again.

The End

A/N I would just like to thank all my readers. The question of plagiarism was reported on another site by a third party and I was completely cleared by their moderators.


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